Services

Changes ahead for train users

First Great Western will be running a new weekday 7.34am fast commuter service from Didcot Parkway to London Paddington from Monday, calling at Reading only, operated by a Class 180 Adelante train.

On the Cotswold Line, a new weekday train will run from Oxford to Worcester, leaving Oxford at 5.14am, calling at Moreton-in-Marsh, Evesham and Pershore.

The 6.49pm weekday train from Worcester to London will be speeded up to run 20 minutes earlier east of Moreton-in-Marsh, where it will depart at 7.26pm, calling at Kingham at 7.34pm, Charlbury at 7.43pm and Hanborough at 7.50pm, reaching London at 8.59pm.

FGW will also be adding extra coaches to stopping trains between Oxford, Didcot, Reading and London on Sundays, due to growth in passenger numbers.

Chiltern Railways will run an extra Saturday morning express from Banbury to London Marylebone, leaving at 10.35am, calling at Bicester North at 10.51am, then running non-stop to London.

Comments

King Joke
7:16pm Wed 14 May 14

There are plenty of services up and down the country which would benefit from that approach Yabba, but these do not include Thames Valley commuter services I'm afraid. Locos and stock won't have the acceleration to work to Turbo timetables I'm afraid, especially with 8-10 on.

It works on Chiltern because the 67-hauled services don't stop very often.

If anything on the Western needs to go to locos + stock, it's the West of England services to Exeter and beyond. These are hourly at best, don't use 125 mph lines west of Reading, and many run fast from there to Taunton or Exeter so don't need the acceleration. THey also need 10 cars or more. THis would free up more 8-car HSTs for Thames Valley services.

There are plenty of services up and down the country which would benefit from that approach Yabba, but these do not include Thames Valley commuter services I'm afraid. Locos and stock won't have the acceleration to work to Turbo timetables I'm afraid, especially with 8-10 on.
It works on Chiltern because the 67-hauled services don't stop very often.
If anything on the Western needs to go to locos + stock, it's the West of England services to Exeter and beyond. These are hourly at best, don't use 125 mph lines west of Reading, and many run fast from there to Taunton or Exeter so don't need the acceleration. THey also need 10 cars or more. THis would free up more 8-car HSTs for Thames Valley services.King Joke

There are plenty of services up and down the country which would benefit from that approach Yabba, but these do not include Thames Valley commuter services I'm afraid. Locos and stock won't have the acceleration to work to Turbo timetables I'm afraid, especially with 8-10 on.

It works on Chiltern because the 67-hauled services don't stop very often.

If anything on the Western needs to go to locos + stock, it's the West of England services to Exeter and beyond. These are hourly at best, don't use 125 mph lines west of Reading, and many run fast from there to Taunton or Exeter so don't need the acceleration. THey also need 10 cars or more. THis would free up more 8-car HSTs for Thames Valley services.

Score: 1

yabbadabbadoo256
11:46am Wed 14 May 14

plenty of spare mk3 stock lying around, why not replace some of the 6 coach turbo trains with 8-10 coach loco hauled stock on some of the morning commuter stopping/semi fast services?

They could easily top/tail with some of the spare loco's lying around. if Chiltern can do it...

Bit to clever to FGW to come up with??

plenty of spare mk3 stock lying around, why not replace some of the 6 coach turbo trains with 8-10 coach loco hauled stock on some of the morning commuter stopping/semi fast services?
They could easily top/tail with some of the spare loco's lying around. if Chiltern can do it...
Bit to clever to FGW to come up with??yabbadabbadoo256

plenty of spare mk3 stock lying around, why not replace some of the 6 coach turbo trains with 8-10 coach loco hauled stock on some of the morning commuter stopping/semi fast services?

They could easily top/tail with some of the spare loco's lying around. if Chiltern can do it...

Bit to clever to FGW to come up with??

Score: 0

jimm
12:20am Thu 15 May 14

Ah, the popular myth that there are lots of coaches lying around doing nothing.

There are precious few Mk3 coaches that are not in use, and almost of those that are out of service are owned by DB Regio, the parent company of Chiltern Railways, in case it wants to lengthen the existing loco-powered services between Birmingham and London or add an extra couple of sets of coaches.

A few extra coaches being made available for FGW's HST fleet at the moment are being provided by the not exactly cheap route of converting unused buffet-kitchen coaches into passenger coaches.

Ah, the popular myth that there are lots of coaches lying around doing nothing.
There are precious few Mk3 coaches that are not in use, and almost of those that are out of service are owned by DB Regio, the parent company of Chiltern Railways, in case it wants to lengthen the existing loco-powered services between Birmingham and London or add an extra couple of sets of coaches.
A few extra coaches being made available for FGW's HST fleet at the moment are being provided by the not exactly cheap route of converting unused buffet-kitchen coaches into passenger coaches.jimm

Ah, the popular myth that there are lots of coaches lying around doing nothing.

There are precious few Mk3 coaches that are not in use, and almost of those that are out of service are owned by DB Regio, the parent company of Chiltern Railways, in case it wants to lengthen the existing loco-powered services between Birmingham and London or add an extra couple of sets of coaches.

A few extra coaches being made available for FGW's HST fleet at the moment are being provided by the not exactly cheap route of converting unused buffet-kitchen coaches into passenger coaches.

Score: 1

King Joke
5:43pm Thu 15 May 14

THere may not be many Mk IIIs but there are dozens of unused Mk IIs lying idle at places like Crewe. Sadly they are probably too far decayed for economic restoration now but they should never have been allowed to get into this state following withdrawal in the early 00s - they are good for 100 mph, smooth, air-conditioned and in a much better long-distance layout than any of the modern d o g s h I t e that passengers are forced to endure, Voyagers, 165s, outer sub HSTs etc. It is these Mk IIs that would be ideal for secondary fast regional services, or even West Of Englands, for which they were last used not that long ago in 2001-02.

THere may not be many Mk IIIs but there are dozens of unused Mk IIs lying idle at places like Crewe. Sadly they are probably too far decayed for economic restoration now but they should never have been allowed to get into this state following withdrawal in the early 00s - they are good for 100 mph, smooth, air-conditioned and in a much better long-distance layout than any of the modern d o g s h I t e that passengers are forced to endure, Voyagers, 165s, outer sub HSTs etc. It is these Mk IIs that would be ideal for secondary fast regional services, or even West Of Englands, for which they were last used not that long ago in 2001-02.King Joke

THere may not be many Mk IIIs but there are dozens of unused Mk IIs lying idle at places like Crewe. Sadly they are probably too far decayed for economic restoration now but they should never have been allowed to get into this state following withdrawal in the early 00s - they are good for 100 mph, smooth, air-conditioned and in a much better long-distance layout than any of the modern d o g s h I t e that passengers are forced to endure, Voyagers, 165s, outer sub HSTs etc. It is these Mk IIs that would be ideal for secondary fast regional services, or even West Of Englands, for which they were last used not that long ago in 2001-02.

Score: 0

jimm
11:02am Sat 7 Jun 14

So the answer is to bring back a load of coaches that are well past their 40th birthdays, which need expensive-to-run locomotives to power them. Note that after its dalliance with loco-powered trains, Chiltern pounced on the first (far cheaper to run) diesel multiple units it could get its hands on, even if that means taking them off routes in the North of England where they are still needed.

So the answer is to bring back a load of coaches that are well past their 40th birthdays, which need expensive-to-run locomotives to power them. Note that after its dalliance with loco-powered trains, Chiltern pounced on the first (far cheaper to run) diesel multiple units it could get its hands on, even if that means taking them off routes in the North of England where they are still needed.jimm

So the answer is to bring back a load of coaches that are well past their 40th birthdays, which need expensive-to-run locomotives to power them. Note that after its dalliance with loco-powered trains, Chiltern pounced on the first (far cheaper to run) diesel multiple units it could get its hands on, even if that means taking them off routes in the North of England where they are still needed.

Score: 0

King Joke
8:07am Mon 9 Jun 14

Whyever not? West-of-England trains can't cope with demand on eight-car formations and ideally need to run 10-12 cars. Locos aren't cheap to run but is it really economic to run units in 12-car formations, with twelve sets of engines and transmissions to maintain?

Chiltern haven't given up on locos just yet, they are underwhelmed with the reliability of 67s but are likely to hire DRS' new 68s when they arrive.

Whyever not? West-of-England trains can't cope with demand on eight-car formations and ideally need to run 10-12 cars. Locos aren't cheap to run but is it really economic to run units in 12-car formations, with twelve sets of engines and transmissions to maintain?
Chiltern haven't given up on locos just yet, they are underwhelmed with the reliability of 67s but are likely to hire DRS' new 68s when they arrive.King Joke

Whyever not? West-of-England trains can't cope with demand on eight-car formations and ideally need to run 10-12 cars. Locos aren't cheap to run but is it really economic to run units in 12-car formations, with twelve sets of engines and transmissions to maintain?

Chiltern haven't given up on locos just yet, they are underwhelmed with the reliability of 67s but are likely to hire DRS' new 68s when they arrive.

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